Game-table.



No. 638,99I. Patented Dec. I2, |899.

' H. W. REUUARTH.

GAME TABLE.

(Applicatien filed Feb. 27, 1899.)

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(No Model.)

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IIIIIIIH No. 638,99l. Patented' nec. l2, |899..

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

HENRY IV. REQUARTH, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE F. A. REQUARTH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GAM E-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,991, dated December 12, 1899.

Application filed February 27, 1899. Serial No. 706,928. (No model.)

.'l'o aZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. REQUARTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Tables, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to'details of construe tion hereinafter appearing, and particularly pointed out in the claims. j

In the accompanying drawings, on which like reference letters and numerals indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is a plan View of my improved gaine-table complete; Fig. 2, a detail view showing the manner of closing the register holes or openings; Fig. 3, a side elevation, partly broken away; Fig. 4, a detail perspective View of a portion of one end, showing the ball-race and trip mechanism for releasing the ball so that it will pass out on the table; and Fig. 5, a detail sectional viewshowing the trip mechanism on an enlarged scale.

TheletterA represents the top of the gainetable, which is preferably inclined, as shown in Fig. 8, and is supported upon legs B. At the upper end of the table a ball-race C is formed, which extends across said upper end and down on each side a short distance, as clearly indicated in Fig. l. This ball-race is entirely cased over, but has a ball-entrance hole D formed in the cover about midway between the sides of the table. From this hole or opening the race slopes in each direction, as particularly seen in Fig. 4. Thus when the ball is dropped into the hole D it may run toward either side of the table in the ballrace, so that the player will be uncertain at what point it will enter upon the table. In order to hold the ball within the race on either side,I provide a trip mechanism, consisting of a pivoted trip E, which projects through a slit or opening in the table, as shown at F, and is pivoted upon a pin G. This trip projects within the ball-.race and is normally held projecting therein by means of a spring H or in any other suitable manner.

In order to release the ball, it will be observed that I have connected the lower end of each trip to a hand-operated lever I, carried by the table near its lower end, by means of rods or wires J. The lever I is adapted to be engaged by a pin K, carried by a stud or projection L, extending from a hand-rest M. This hand-rest is adapted to be moved down by the hand of the player, but is normally held in its raised position by means of a spring O, which encircles the stud L and presses at its lower end against the bracket P and at its upper end against the under side of the hand-rest. As the hand-rest is returned by its spring to normal position the trips are also returned by their springs to.

normally stand in the path of the projected ball. It will further be observed by referring to Fig. LL that the ball-race has a much greater inclination at its discharge ends, as shown at Q. This is for the purpose of giving the projected ball considerable momen-l tum as it rolls onto the table.

The player takes his position at the lower end of the table and places a ball thereon in position to strike the same with a cue. He next lays his hand upon thehand-rest, and 'when he is ready to play presses upon the hand-rest to actuate the trip mechanism, so that a ball will be suddenly projected upon the table from either one side or the other, the player not knowing which until after the ball has rolled onto the table. By carefully gaging the speed of the ball so projected upon the table the player is enabled to drive the played ball against such projected ball, when, if played rightly, one or both balls will be driven into pockets `R and S, respectively. As soon as they enter these pockets the traps T descend and permit the balls to drop down upon a false bottom or trough U, hereinafter described. .These traps are constructed of a piece of wood or other suitable material adapted to extend within the holes or pockets R and S, respectively. It will be observed that the upper portion 2 of the trap is smaller than the lower portion 3. This is for the purpose of permitting the lower portion to extend beneath the table-top to limit the upward movement of the trap, so that it will never be raised above the level of the table. A spring-bar 4 is secured at one end to the table by means of a screw 5 or other suitable device, and at its other end is screwed to the under side of the trap, as shown at 6. Thus IOO when any weight is placed upon the trap, such as the lballs vwhen played, the trap instantly yields suficiently to permit the balls to drop beneath the table upon a false bottom, as above mentioned. It will be understood that the top of this game-table, as also the false bottom or trough, may be covered with cloth, if desired, as is usual in this class of tables. i

Referring now to the false bottom or trough it will be seen that it opens into a box-like extension which projects slightly beyond the lower end or the players end of the table and inclines upward from such end. By referring to Fig. l the trough ma)7 be seen in dotted lines and is much wider at its rear or upward end in order to receive balls dropping thro ugh any one of the holes R and S above mentioned. As these balls drop onto theinclined false bottom they roll down the same and pass into the extension f, Where the player may pick them out, as desired, through the opening g (indicated by dotted line in Fig. l) and use them in playing over again.

As the balls are projected upon the table they preferably travel in a parabolic curve, being in the direction of the resultant of two forces-namely, the force acting to roll the ball across the table and the force acting to cause the ball to roll to the lower end of the table. Unless, therefore, the operator strikes the ball as it leaves the ball-race or after it is outl upon the table it'will pass overto the opposite side of said table and roll into the pocket 7 or S formed by the side rails d and h projecting above the table and also by the respective strips cl and e, according to which side of the table the ball may enter from the ball-race. Where the balls pass into these pockets, nothing is counted for the player; but where the projected ball is struckfby the played ball'on'the wing, as it. were, the balls will either roll together to the bottom of the: tableintocups or end pockets 9 or into one of the holes R orvS. Of course it will be understood `that if either of the balls drop through the'holesin the table veryv much'v more is counted Vfor the player than Where they roll into the pockets 9, as it is Very much more'difiicult. to drive one or both of these balls vthrough such holes.

In'inserting the ball to be projected upon the table within the ball-race the player cannot tell from which side ot' the table the ball Will roll out of the race. Consequently he must play very quickly and accurately in order to strike'sueh ball with th'e played ball,

and when `the play is properly made it is av sonrceof great satisfaction and pleasure to the players.

The reference-numerals 14 and 16, as shownin Fig. 2, refer to coiiroperated mechanism for controlling the number of plays which maybe played during any one game; but inasmuch as such mechanism is outside of the present invention it is not further described.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a game-table, the combination with a table-top, of a ball-race extending across one end of said table and partlydown along the sides thereof, devices for stopping the ball at or nearA each of the ends of said ball-race, and means for moving said devices out of the ball-race simultaneously by one operation, all substantially as shown and described.

2. In a game-table, the combination With a longitudinally-inclined table-top, a ball-race extending across the upper end of` said table and partly down along the sides thereof, and opening upon said table, said ball-race being inclined toward said openings, means for normally standing within/the inner ends of said ball-race to hold the balls therein, said means adapted to be moved out ofthe path of said balls at the Will of the player.

3. In-a game-table, the combination with a longitudinally-inclined table-top, a ball-race across the upper end of said table and extending partially alongits sides and opening upon said top, a trip mechanism Withineach end of said ball-race, a hand-rest Afor the player,

near the lower end of said table and adapted to operate a lever, a pair ofA rods connecting with saidlever and with the respective trip devices, whereby when the hand-rest vs-depressed the mechanisinwill move out 'of the ball-race, so that a ball may be-rolled upon said table.

4. In a game-table, the combination with aY said table and partially-down along its sides' and having an opening at its ends openingn upon said table, and also having Ia hole or `openingthroughits cover,substanti'ally midway'between-the sides of said table and 'inclined 4eachway from the openingfin itstop' to the openin gs upon saidl table, trip mechanism consisting of a pivoted lever withinsaid ball-racenear each of fits'inner openings,'a

hand-rest device near the lower end ofv-saidi table adapted to be connected Wit-h'saidtripy mechanism to Withdrawthe trips from vthe ball-race, and other 4means for yreturning said trips to their normal position, substantially as described.

5. In a gaine-table, the combinationwith a longitudin'ally-inclined top,said tophaving side and end rails projecting upward therefrom, of a eovered'ball-race extending across the upper end of said table and partially down along its sides,` said ballfracehaving aninlet hole or opening substantially between the sides of said table and exit-openings opening upon said table at its lower end and beveled from said entrance-opening to near said exitopenings in` one plane and in another vplane to near'the ends of said ball-race, substantially as described.

6. In a game-table, the combination' Witha IOO lon gitudinally-inclined table-top, havin g side and end rails projecting upward therefrom,

4of a ballerace extending across the` upper end and partially down the sides of said table and opening inward thereon, said ball-race being inclined in both directions from midway its length to near its lower openings in substan tially the same plane, the remaining portion of its length having a greater inclination, whereby the balls will be given a greatermolnentum as they enter upon the table.

7. In a game-table, the combination with a lon gitudinally-inclined table-top,having sides and ends projecting upward therefrom, of a covered ball-race extending across the upper end and partially down along the sides of said table-top, said ball-race having aninlet-opening, and an outlet-opening for each of its ends, with its bottom inclining from the inletopening to the outlet-openings, one or more holes extending through said table-top near said ball-race, a false bottom or trough beneath said holes or openings inclined downward toward the lower end ot' said table,

whereby the balls which may enter said openings are conducted downward to the players position, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a gaine-table, the combination with a longitudinally-inclined table-top having sides and ends projecting therefrom, a ball-race extending aeross the upper end of said table and partially down along its sides, said ball-race opening from each side upon said table, said table also havin g holes extending through the same and a number of counting-pockets near its lower end, and a pair of non-counting pockets, one of which is adjacent to one side rail, and trap devices for closing the openings in said table, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY W. REQUARTII. Witnesses:

J. ELAM ARTZ, WM. A. HUEFFELMANN. 

